Painted Bottle Update

Let's not pretend I'm a fast finisher. 


No, the painted bottles aren't done yet.

 The original three

Here, I was at 5 painted. This is one I was trying to work the paint around in order to finish covering the inside. It took a lot of coercion, but I finally managed.

I have painted 8 bottles now, but I still have a few more to do, along with their finishing touches. That means sanding lids and bottlecaps and winding and affixing the twine to the tops. I'm getting there. I may be slow, but I ain't old... actually, that's debatable.

In my defense regarding the unfinished bottle project... I did go to between 8 and 10 garage sales yesterday (scored some new great goods that I'll post as soon as I get shots of them all), went to Goodwill, twice to Lowes, and then to the consignment store about those dishes that went with the cups I got at last week's warehouse sale. Hmmm...wonder how that will turn out. I honestly don't know. That's a part of the unfinished story.


Oh yeah, then I came home and spent 4 hours planting mandevilla vines along my neighbor's fence. 

Okay, this picture is misleading! From the looks of this, you'd think I had enough plants to cover the entire length of the fence with massive foliage and flowers. Not so. There are only 4 plants and about 25 feet of fence. More on the result of my gardening later.

Anywho, what I wanted to tell you was that I have some lessons learned from my recent bottle painting endeavors to pass along. If you are going to do it, please...

...Don't be too cheap! 

A little cheap is okay, but "over the top cheap" doesn't pay off. As with most things, too much of a good thing turns bad. For this project, I'm suggesting you use at least a mid-priced acrylic paint. I, while wearing the badge of cheapskate pride, purchased numerous bottles of Jo-ann Fabric's brand of acrylic paint (Essentials) because, well, it was only 59 cents a bottle! That's less than half the price of the Americana brand. Yes, I know that the Americana brand is after all only about $1.39 each, but that's more than double the Jo-ann price. Cheap is cheap, and I was thinking merely in terms of price and color when choosing my paints because I was buying quite a few to be sure I got the right ones. And trust me, the color decision was difficult enough because I was also wearing my indecisive badge. "Cheap" and "indecisive" both standing on the ledges of their respective obsessions is nerve-wracking. I can't be expected to choose colors wisely while trying to battle personal challenges.


"Frugality" and "uncertainty" took their toll on me as I hovered between them trying to make sure neither one went over the edge. I still had 6 of the tall skinny glass bottles left at home and three cool curvy glass bottles. I wanted to get all the versions of blue and green paint that would make my living room sing, so I grasped at "cheap".

Here are the colors I am choosing between for this project.

After returning from the craft store, I began pouring paint into bottles and working it around. I was moving right along and getting it done. [So proud of myself!]


I had also bought some pink-toned paints as well as green, aqua, white and a buttery yellow. Thought I might need some pizazz in the color mix. Painting the bottles can actually go really fast, and I also tried using the blow dryer to speed up drying time. All seemed well. However, I noticed the next day that some bottles dried with a sort of mottled look when the light shines past them from the other side. 

Then after doing the pink and the purple-pink bottles, I noticed the purple-pink one had that mottled look as well.

In real life it has a bit more of a purple tinge to it.

Turns out the ones that come out with this veiny look were done with the Jo-ann brand paints. No offense Jo-ann, but this paint is no good for painting glass. I'm sure it's fine to stick with it for paper or whatever, but I suggest you use the Americana brand or one that is even higher quality for this project. You could always use the cheaper paint and then recoat, I guess, but that's tricky too, doesn't necessarily come out any better, and then you're doubling the amount of paint you use anyway (kaching, kaching! if you're counting the cost, as I am) and worse, you're doubling the time you spend. Tsk, tsk...we don't need that, now do we?


Ugh, unh. We are not about that. So do yourself a favor and make this colorful little project. The color and shine adds a huge burst of energy to the room. I also suggest you do yourself a favor and use decent paint. Makes all the difference. Makes a project person smile big smiles of delight rather than scrunch their nose up and hold the bottle to the light and ask themselves, should I bother to recoat it, or can I let it slide? There is no need to wear the badge of indecisiveness on this one. There's enough of that to go around. Personally, I won't be recoating. If they don't have backlight behind them, it's not noticeable, and for some uses, you may not care about perfection. Mostly I don't notice the bad ones, except when this happens. 

What's wierd is that it didn't have this crackly streaking before I went to touch it up. The next day though, after adding a little more paint to darken the neck where the paint had thinned and looked really light, it ended up like this. Huh? I don't get it. What happened?


I'm chalking it up to cheap Joann paint. Then again, it may have just been old. I was originally working from a stash I've had a long time.

I say, do it right the first time. Then you will be able to finish in record time and smile that happy completed project smile. After that, if you want to put on your cheapskate badge on, do so, and get out there and put your garage sale haggling skills to use. After all, you get at least two glass bottles like this painted for each little bottle of paint, maybe three. That makes the cost per glass bottle of this size about $0.46 to $0.65 if you already have them leftover from something else or get them for free. That should leave you plenty of quarters to score some sweet finds at yard sales. 


My bottle project isn't quite done (I have about 5 more of them to paint), but I'm going "overkill" on this project and doing about 13 of them. Plus I'm a project hopper. I just do a little here and there. Soon they'll be done and I'll make sure you get to see the finished project.

Same Tip Applies

Oh, and as for spray paint...same tip applies. Sometimes buying cheap will bite you in the rear. I bought some Lowes $1 white to spray paint an accessory to the bottles, and no white would come out.  I shook that can, and shook that can and sprayed, and sprayed and sprayed, and only the slightest creamy sort of see-through glaze ever came out. So frustrating. I could, however, use the cheap Joann's acrylic paint I bought that I no longer want to use on the bottles and try brushing it on the accessory. Since the accessory is paper, the JoAnn paint should be fine. But I'll be sure to let you know if not. Bummer though about the spray paint. I was all hyped to finally be among those who spray paint and get it done quickly. So much for that. (And I wasted $1! Grrr!) Now painting my accessories will take some time. 


I have another project with spray paint I'll be attempting today on one of my garage sale scores. For that one I bought better paint. I hope. Stay tuned.


If you stick with me I'll show you the final bottles later this week. Until then, enjoy your weekend and whatever vistas are on your horizon, quirky or otherwise.


Update #1: You can read another bottle painting tip below in the comments from Claire @ A Little Something in the Meantime. 
Thanks, Claire!


Update #2: This tip comes from Donna Wilkes at Distressed Donna Down Home. See what she says below about why the paint streaked.
Thanks, Donna!


Any other tips out there? Please let me know in the comments. 


Then stop by and visit these sites for some inspiration:


Sizzle Into Summer @ DIY by Design
Made By You Monday @ Skip to my Lou
Show Me what You Got @ Our Delightful Home
Cure for the Common Monday @ Lines Across
Metamorphosis Monday @ BNOTP
Manic Monday @ Serendipity & Spice
Mod Mix Monday @ Mod Vintage Life






Inspire Me Monday @ Create With Joy
Sunday Show Off @ Twigg Studios
Get Schooled Saturday @ Too Much Time
Fabulous Friday @ Doodles & Stitches
Transformation Thursday @ The Shabby Creek Cottage
Time Travel Thursday @ The Brambleberry Cottage
Share It @ The Winthrop Chronicles
Knick of Time Tuesday @ Knick of Time
Tips & Tricks @ Stringtown Home
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday @ Coastal Charm